What happens when we reach 200,000?

Ha! I LOVE this, actually. And apparently, so do all the FB “likers.” I personally like it when a corporate or organizational entity displays a sense of humor in their social media feeds. Makes it seem more human. Reminds me of the Secret Service tweet about Fox news. I would totally follow Secret Service if they threw in those kind of tweets every now and then.

I’m with you, BL. Puppies are great. And although I’m more of a dog person than a cat person, kittens are cute, too. I have little doubt that by 200,000, we’ll be inundated with them.

That said, it’d also be great if there was something 100,000 people and counting might be able to do besides look at cute photos we’ve already submitted. Something that we can do together that we can’t accomplish alone. A way for the 100,000 people to gaze at the NGS stage (where the puppy pictures are) AND a way for us to look laterally at each other, and see who else is part of this online “community” (and I use the word very loosely).

Then again, maybe you’re right: Maybe cute puppies & kittens is all we can really expect from our Society. But I still have hope we can do so much more.

Thanks for your note…. and for stopping by.

Brightlights2000

Uh well actually. I never said cute puppies & kittens is all we can really expect from the Society. Where did you get that from?

Good point. BL. You didn’t say that. But, as you gathered, it was the point of my initial post: 100,000 likes, and we get puppy pictures. That reward — “here, have a puppy” — struck me as oddly dismissive, but you didn’t seem to mind. … I’m a big believer that NGS can do something incredible with the crowd that’s assembling online, while simultaneously inflating the “fun balloon.” Kitty pix included.

Brightlights2000

Actually, what I saw was 100,000 likes and the continuation of amazing stories from a wonderful magazine that’s been read by my family for three generations. I took the post as the opposite of dismissive. I gather the dismissive-ness is more of a reflection on you & your issues with the magazine anything. I think you’re grasping on this one.

I share your enthusiasm — and a willingness to pay for the magazine. But our numbers are dwindling: a drop from 10 million to about 4 to 6 million, depending on who you count. What will stop the drop? I’m sharing my ideas here, BL. What are some of yours?

Would you join us? If so, please give this interview request a 'thumbs up':

338 more people like Dear John: Let's Talk but we can't include their names. (They're either not on Facebook, or they've asked to remain anonymous.) If you're in the same boat, please let me know here and I'll increase our tally by one. Thanks.

About

Hi. I'm Alan Mairson. I'm a freelance journalist based in Bethesda, Maryland; a former staff writer & editor for National Geographic magazine; and a member & lifelong fan of the National Geographic Society. For details about this project, please check out our inaugural post. For more about my advisers & me, see this. To feel the tight financial grip that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation exerts on the National Geographic Society, peek at these tax returns. And if you'd like to share ideas, questions, or suggestions — or if you just want to heckle :-) — please contact me here. Thanks for stopping by.